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Our Products: By Health Issue > The Immune System > Acute Immunity > Echinacea

Echinacea

There's more misinformation out there about Echinacea than about any other herb. That's because Echinacea is one confusing herb! Or to be more precise, Echinacea is about six confusing herbs...

Are we talking about Echinacea purpurea? E. angustifolia? Any of a half-dozen other species? And then we have to ask ourselves if we're talking about dried plant material, juice, or an extract (and an alcohol extract or a water extract). From the root, the leaves, flowers?

There are more kinds of different kinds of "Echinacea" than there are kinds of fruit.

Here's what we do know:

In most clinical trials, Echinacea hasn't looked like it does much.
Most practicing herbalists use way more Echinacea than have been used in the research studies, and say that they see it work.
Interestingly, in one large trial where Echinacea didn't stop colds or flus in children, it did reduce the chance those same kids would get a second or third illness that winter....
Echinacea seems to work better combined with other herbs.

And perhaps the most important thing we know is this: millions of people swear that Echinacea works for them. If you're one of these people, then trust what your body tells you. It's smarter than any research study or "expert" opinion.

.....more about Echinacea.

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More About Echinacea:

Echinacea is a beautiful wildflower first used by Native Americans to treat a variety of ailments, from toothaches to snakebites. It is one of the most popular herbal supplements on the market, hailed as a natural way to ease the sneezes and wheezes of the common cold. As a plant it is common throughout the North American plains and woodlands, and is native to Ohio and Iowa south to Louisiana and Georgia. It has also been cultivated for floral display. Echinacea is a plant that bears single pink or purple flowers from its tall stems, with a central cone that often appears purplish-brown in colour. Echinacea is harvested from the above-ground parts of the plant. It is a perennial plant native to the central U.S. Echinacea is indigenous to the American Midwest, and was first used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans, Cherokee Indians, according to ethnobotanists.

Echinacea is available in capsules containing a powder of the dried plant or root, and also as a tincture (an alcohol-based preparation). It is also prepared commercially in a number of forms - dried root or herb, liquid extract, powder, capsules and tablets, and creams and gels.

Echinacea is a stimulant, tonic, depurative, and especially strongly antiseptic; it is in a lesser degree anesthetic and antiputrefactive. Echinacea is used for a range of benefits, including as an antiviral, an immune stimulant, and to relieve urinary tract infections and yeast-related disorders. Because of its immune stimulation method of action Echinacea is generally not recommended for use by people with diseases of the immune system such as HIV, multiple sclerosis, or tuberculosis.

Echinacea is one of the best-selling herbs in U.S drugstores and supermarkets and is the top seller in health supplement stores for the past four years. In the US alone, the echinacea herbal remedy market is worth around 24m a year.

Echinacea is promoted for cold prevention under the theory that it supports the immune system by activating white blood cells. Echinacea is most effective when you start it as soon as possible after noticing symptoms of a cold or flu, such as a scratchy throat, runny nose, or body aches. In common with some other herbal treatments it does not attempt to cure the illness, it distinguishes itself by directly stimulating the immune system. Echinacea is effective in helping people get rid of colds and flu more quickly and lessening the severity of the symptoms while the cold or flu lasts. Echinacea is often included in combination with other herbs to treat or prevent colds and other upper respiratory infections

Echinacea is widely promoted for its ability to "boost" the immune system; however, data to support this claim are inconclusive - this maybe because of confusiuon between strains of the plant. Echinacea is indicated for use in problem areas stemming from an under-functioning immune system and is also of benefit to the lymphatic system. Echinacea is most commonly promoted for cold prevention and under the theory that it supports the immune system by activating white blood cells. Echinacea is a remedy for autoinfection, and where the blood stream becomes slowly infected either from within or without the body. Echinacea is being used to combat bacterial, viral, protozoan, and fungal infections, as an anti-inflammatory agent, and as a possible chemopreventative agent. The plant is also recognized for its ability to enhance the resistance of cells to viruses, even when used after cells have been exposed to colds and flus. In our experience this really needs to be as soon as symptoms occur.

Echinacea is widely used for conditions such as wounds, burns, swelling of the lymph nodes, insect bites - and less commonly for stomach cramps, measles, gonorrhea, and even snake bites! Echinacea is said to be a good agent in a malignant form of quinsy known as "black tongue"; and in "mountain fever", closely allied to and often diagnosed as typhoid fever.

Echinacea is not a "magic bullet" - a complete cure - and it is certainly not a substitute for common sense in minimizingthe likelyihood of a minor cold becoming a more serious issue or threat.

In closing, "echinacea is an herb that's been so commonly used historically that it just kind of rolled into modern herbal therapy without adequate scientific scrutiny," (quote from Donald Brown, a naturopathic physician and industry consultant). It is one of the most popular herbal supplements on the market, hailed as a natural way to ease the sneezes and wheezes of the common cold. Echinacea is widely promoted for its ability to "boost" the immune system; however, data to support this claim are inconclusive. If it works for you - though - stick with it. But use it as early as possible.

What People Are Saying And Quick Facts About Echinacea:

one of the most frequently sold herbs in the United States.
a medicinal herb that some people take to boost their immune system.
safe and effective in preventing or treating the common cold.
a distant cousin to ragweed and other members of the daisy family.
one of the Europe's & North America's most popular herbal remedies.
claimed to boost the immune system, thereby increasing one's resistance to illness.
considered generally safe when taken orally for periods of no longer than 8 consecutive weeks of daily use.
a genus of nine species of flowering plants in the Family Asteraceae, all native to eastern North America.
simulates phagocytosis in the blood stream.
derived from the Greek meaning "hedgehog", referring to the sharp pointed bracts of the receptacles.
proven effective, he said he doesn't believe it works.
used extensively to promote wound healing and stimulate the immune system.
the most commonly used natural product.
most effective when used in its fresh state.
sold under a wide variety of trade names.
also seen, at present, as a possible ingredient in the treatment of AIDs.
especially popular during times of seasonal change.
available intravenously for add-on therapy in connection with of some types of cancer.
most effective when used within the first 24 to 48 hours of the onset of cold symptoms.
needs to be harvested at the exact time for maximal levels of all active compounds.
recommended for immune system support, winter wellness, and men's and women's health.
difficult to evaluate because of the heterogeneity of the products used in various studies.
an extract (often from the roots but possibly also from other parts) of plants from the species Echinacea.
a top-selling herb in the United States and Europe for the treatment and prevention of colds.
use a "three days on, three days off" dosing schedule.
very popular because its used to strengthen and enhance overall health and well-being.
also known by the names Black Sampson, Purple Coneflower, Rudbeckia, and Missouri Snakeroot.
the second best-selling herbal product.
the best known and one of the most researched of immunostimulants.
indigenous to the U.S, and can be found both growing wild in many areas as well as in cultivated gardens.
Ongoing NCCAM will continue to support research on Echinacea.
fairly clean as far as possible interactions with drug or food.
taken regularly by millions of Australians, Americans and Europeans.
being used for symptoms of the common cold, it should be started as soon as the symptoms are noticed.
the name of a genus of plants native to midwestern North America, commonly known as the purple coneflower.
a perennial plant that grows one to two feet in height and looks something like a Black-eyed Susan.
more effective than a placebo in decreasing the severity or duration of cold symptoms.
probably most effective if used in frequent doses for 5-7 days at the early onset of symptoms.

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